The Best Ways to Make Minute Steak

If you've bought some minute steaks and are wondering how to cook them, fret not. There are several different ways to cook minute steak, so you can pick whichever works best for you.

Read more: How to Cook a Tender Steak on the Stove

Minute steak is a small, thin cut of beef that is usually boneless. It can be cut from any part of the beef; however, it is usually from either the sirloin or the round area from the back of the cow. The muscles in this area do quite a bit of work, so the meat is pretty lean.

However, because they're so thin — they're usually just a quarter-inch in thickness —minute steaks cook quickly (hence the name) and get pretty tender, unlike some of the other lean cuts of steak, which can be quite chewy. Watch out though, as overcooking minute steaks can cause them to get tough and leathery.

Cube steak, which is meat that has been tenderized either by pounding it or running it through an electrical tenderizer, is also sometimes mistakenly referred to as minute steak; however, they are not the same thing.

Minute steak is a good choice of beef because it is lean but still flavorful. The Mayo Clinic explains that lean cuts of beef have less fat and cholesterol than other cuts.

In fact, lean beef, if paired with a heart-healthy diet that has low levels of saturated fat, can help improve your cholesterol levels and lower your risk of heart disease, according to a small study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in January 2012.

Read more: Protein Steak Salad

You can cook minute steaks on the stovetop or roast them on the grill, whichever you prefer. Here's how:

• Grill-roasted steak: Fire up the grill and let it get hot. Place the minute steaks on it one at a time. Turn them over as soon as the meat browns. This should not take more than a minute or two, since the steaks cook pretty quickly. If any bits get charred, Harvard Health Publishing recommends throwing them away, since charred meat could contain harmful chemicals.
• Pan-fried steak: Season the steak with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a pan on high heat and add the steaks. Sear the steaks for 30 seconds to a minute on each side then take them out of the pan. If you want to make some gravy to go along with it, you can add the ingredients to the pan with a little butter. For instance, you can make a gravy with beef broth, barbecue sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
• Braised steak: The University of Illinois recommends putting the steaks in a skillet and adding a little water or stock, just enough so that the steak doesn't dry out. You can add diced onions and peppers to the pan and stir in some barbecue or hoisin sauce for flavor.

Read more: 10 Steak Recipes That Any Carnivore Will Love

Marinating the steak before you cook it is optional. If you need a marinade, you can try this LIVESTRONG.com Fresh Mango Marinade recipe.